10 Unconventional Ways to Find Freelance Gigs

How to find new clients without Upwork or cold calling

One of the scariest, most difficult parts of running a freelance business is finding new clients. Job boards like Upwork and Freelancer are a great way to get your foot in the door, but as your business gains momentum, those 20% commissions eat into your bottom line. And if you’re not experienced in phone sales, the thought of cold-calling companies looking for leads is terrifying, not to mention time consuming and ineffective.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: I haven’t cold-called once in my freelance career, and 90% of the clients I work with came from outside of Upwork. With a little bit of creativity and outside-the-box thinking, you can find new clients pretty much anywhere.

Ready to get some new clients for your freelance business? Here are 10 unconventional ways to find them.

1. Old bosses

One of the best ways to find freelance gigs is to ask your former bosses if they know of any opportunities. Focus on superiors with whom you’ve worked closely and have maintained a good relationship — essentially, the same people you would want to use as a reference on a resume. These people have hired you in the past and they know how you work. Assuming you’re driven and pay attention to details — which…